Dispensing apparatus



I Jan. 5, 1937. J. E, FOGARTY 2,066,397

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed June 21, 1935 Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

DISPENSING APPARATUS John Edward Fogarty, Auburn, Mass.

Application June 21,

4 Claims. This invention relates to apparatus for dis- Tpensi'ng beer or other beverages.

I It is the general object of my invention to provide improved means for delivering beer at a '5 dis ensing point at a carefully regulated pressure,

and for clearing and cleaning the dispensing apparatiis when desired.

r My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown.in the drawing which is a front elevation of my improved dispensing apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a barrel or other closed container It! connected by a feed pipe I I to a three-way valve I2. A distributing pipe I3 connects the valve I2 through a cooling coil I4 to a spigot or ta'p I5 from which the beer or other beverage is drawn and served.

A pressure gauge I 6 is preferably connected into the pipe II between the barrel I0 and the three-way valve I2, so that the gauge at all times will show the pressure in the barrel I0 and feed pipe II.

A pressure pi e 20 is also connected into the closed barrel I0 and is provided with a shut-off valve 2|. When the valve is open, air or carbonic acid gas under pressure will flow into the barrel 30' I0 and will force the beer or other beverage out through the pipe II.

I also provide a tank 30 to which a water main 3| is connected through a shut-off valve 32 and a reducing valve 33. The tank 30 is also connected through a pipe 34 to a three-way valve 35, to which a by-pass 36 from the water main is also connected.

The usual city-service pressure will be maintained in the pipe 3| and by-pass 36, while a reduced and regulated pressure, commonly about ten pounds, will be maintained in the tank 353 and pipe 34 by the reducing valve 33.

A gauge 31 is provided to show the pressure in the tank 30, and a plug 38 is also provided, which plug may be removed when it is desired to fill the tank 3!] with a cleaning solution, as will be hereinafter described. An air pressure pipe 39 is also connected into the tank 30 and is provided with a shut-off valve 40. When the valve 40 is closed and the plug 38 is in place, the tank 30 is air-tight.

If water is then admitted through the reducing valve 33, the air in the tank will be compressed to the pressure for which the reducing valve is s t. WhiQh u e w l b reg stered 9 the 1935, Serial No. 27,631

gauge 37. The tank 30 will thus be partially filled with water at the regulated pressure, the remainder of the tank being filled with air at the same pressure.

The three-way valve 35 is connected to a plurality of branch pipes 42, one of which is connected to the three-way valve I2 previously described, while the others are similarly connected to other three-way valves not shown, these latter valves being partsv of additional distributing systems.

Having described the construction of my improved dispensing apparatus, I will now describe the operation and advantages thereof.

Under normal conditions, the three-way valve 35 is set to connect the pipe 34 with the branch pipes 42, and to close the high pressure by-pass 36. During the ordinary dispensing of the beverage, the three-way valve I 2 is set to close the branch pipe 42 and to connect the feed pipe II with the distributing pipe I3. The beer or other beverage is then forced out of the barrel I0 by the air or gas pressure in the pipe which thus maintains a desired moderate pressure on the liquid in the system and at the tap I5.

It is found that beer left standing over night in the distributing pipe I3 and cooling coil I4 becomes stagnant or acquires a metallic taste, so that ordinarily when operations are resumed, the beer in the pipe and distributing coil must be drained out and thrown away.

With my improved apparatus, the attendant will turn the handle of the three-way valve I2 when sales for the day are about concluded and will thus connect the branch pipe 42 with the distributing pipe I3 and close the feed pipe II.

Water under the regulated pressure of the tank 30 will then force the beer out of the tap I5 whenever the tap is opened, and in this way the pipe I3 and coil I4 may be emptied of beer and filled with water which will be left in these parts until selling operations are resumed. 1

The valve I 2 is then returned to its original setting, and beer entering the valve l2 under pressure through the feed pipe I I will force the water out of the tap I5 and will again fill the pipe I3 and coil I4 with beer.

I thus avoid the waste of beer caused by leaving the same in the distributing pipe and cooling coil over night. It will be understood that a 50 similar three-way valve l2 and similar dispensing apparatus is provided for each of the branch pipes 42. The storage of a considerable volume of water under air pressure in the tank 30 pro- -vides a much larger available supply of waterum' 5:51

and again filled with water, the valve shifted toconnect the pipe II with the pipe l3 der regulated pressure than could be taken direct from the reducing valve 33.

It is sometimes desirable to force water under high pressure through the distributing pipe and cooling coil to thoroughly clear the same. When this is desired, the three-way valve 35 is shifted to connect the by-pass 36 to the branch pipes 42 and through the valves l2 to the pipes l3 and coils 14, in which way high pressure water from the water main is made available for clearing purposes.

It is also at times desirable to thoroughly clean the pipes and coil with a soda or other cleaning solution. To accomplish this result, I close the shut-off valve 32 and remove the plug 38, introduce the desired cleaning solution into the tank 30, re-insert the plug 38, open the air valve 40, and set the valves l2 and 35 so that the com-' pressed air will force the cleaning solution through the pipe 34, valve 35, branch pipe 42 and valve l2 to the distributing pipe I3 and coil l4, thus thoroughly cleaning the apparatus. The parts may thereafter be rinsed by introduction of water under high pressure as previously described.

In the dispensing of beer it is frequently found that through agitation or otherwise, the beer in a newly tapped barrel will be under excessive pressure, a condition commonly termed heady. It is very difficult to dispense beer in this condition and it is common to draw off and waste a considerable amount of beer in order to reduce the pressure to a desired amount. With my improved apparatus, this waste of beer is avoided by proceeding in the following manner:

As soon as a new barrel is connected, the gauge IE will disclose any condition of excessive pressure in the barrel. Assuming this to be the case, the valve l 2 is set to connect the pipe I l'with the pipe [3, and the tap I5 is openedslightly, thus allowing the beer to gradually force out the water in the pipe l3 and coil l4.

When the water is all forced out, the valve I2 is reversed to close the pipe II and connect the pipe 4? with the pipe l3, after which the beer in the pipe l3 and coil l4 may be dispensed under the regulated pressure in the tank 30, the procedure being the same as at closing time.

When the pipe I3 and coil I4 is emptied of beer I! is and the beer under excessive pressure is again allowed to displace the water in the pipe and coil as before. This procedure is repeated until the gauge l6 shows that enough beer has been withdrawn to lower the pressure in the barrel H! to the pressure maintained in the air or gas line 20.

I am thus able to draw off without waste the necessary amount of beer from a barrel showing excessive pressure, and to dispensethe beer at the usual regulated pressure.

5 Having thusdescribed the uses and utility. of

the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. Dispensing apparatus comprising a threeway valve, a beverage feed pipe and a beverage distributing pipe connected thereto, an additional pipe connected to said valve,-a high pressure water main, and means to maintain a regulated water pressure in said additional pipe substantially less than water main pressure and substantially equal to the normal dispensing pressure of the beverage beingi dispensed, said three.-

way valve being effective to connect either the feed pipe or the additional pipe to said distributing pipe and to simultaneously shut off the other one of said two pipes.

2. Dispensing apparatus comprising a threeway valve, a beverage feed pipe and a beverage distributing pipev connected thereto, anv additional pipe connected to said valve, a high pressure water main, and a pressure reducing and regulating connection between said water main and said three-way valve, said connection comprising a pressure tankconnected' to said-water main and to said three-way valve, and a reduc- Way valve, a beverage feed pipe and a: beverage distributing pipe connected thereto, an additional pipe connected to said valve, andmeans to maintain a regulated water pressure in said additional pipe substantially equal to the usual dispensing pressure for the beverage being dispensed, said three-way valvebeing effective to connect either the feed pipe or the additional pipe to said distributing pipe andtosimultaneously shut off the other one of said two pipes,

and said pressure regulating means comprisinga pressure tank, a connection from a high pressure water main to said tank, with a shut-off valve and a reducing valve in said connection, a pres sure gauge for said tank, an air pressurepipe connected to said tank and provided with a shutoff valve, and a removable air-tightclosure device for said tank. a 'i 4. Dispensing apparatus comprising a threeway valve, a beverage feed pipe and a beverage distributing pipe connected thereto, an addi-,

tional pipe connected to said valve, and means to maintain a regulated water pressure in said additional pipe, said three-way valve being ef fective to connect either the feed pipe or the additional pipe, said three-way valve being efsimultaneously shut oil? the other one of said two pipes, and said pressure regulating means comprising a pressure tank, a connection from a water main to said tank, with a shut-ofl valve and a reducing valve in said connection, a second; three-way valve in said additional pipe, and a by-pass connection from said water main to said latter valve, whereby water at regulated pressure 

